High temperature rechargeable molten salt cells are required for electric propulsion, load leveling and pulse power applications. Amongst the many molten salt battery systems that have been studied over the past many years, the lithium alloy/metal sulfide cell has shown considerable promise for these applications. Heretofore these cells have used a lithium alloy (LiA1), as the anode, an electrolyte of lithium halide-alkali halide mixture (LiCl-KC1eutectic) and a cathode having as the cathode active material a binary metal sulfide of the general formula YS or YS.sub.2 where Y=Fe, Co, or Ni. Recently, a new series of ternary metal sulfides having the general formula XYS.sub.2 where X=Ba or Ca and Y=Fe, Co or Ni have been synthesised. The ternary metal sulfides are thermally stable to temperatures of about 800.degree. C.